This invention relates to snare drums, and in particular, to a device for positioning snare mechanisms internally of a drum which permits adjustment of both the tension on and the position of a snare assembly with respect to a drum head through a single adjustment device positioned externally of the drum.
Snare drums are used frequently in marching bands. These drums produce a unique sound due to the snare mechanism. The snares commonly are located externally of the drum, generally being positioned on the bottom of the drum against the lower drum head. Even when the snare mechanism is positioned internally of the drum, however, the conventional construction employed for these drums has left unsolved a number of problems associated with their construction.
For younger and older musicians in a marching band, for example, the snare drum can become heavy, especially after being carried over a long parade route. The largest part of the weight comes from the top and bottom head assembly and the snare mechanism. Also, the externally mounted snare mechanisms are subject to damage and detuning. Tuning of the snares is complex and presently performed prior to use. To obtain optimum sound quality, a snare tension adjustment and a head pressure adjustment are required. None of these adjustments are easy to accomplish in normal circumstances. They become more problematical if attempted during a parade, for example.
Several inventions have sought to improve the sound quality of snare drums by using various devices for snare mechanism attachment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,157 to Kasha describes a method for fine-tuning of the snares such that a portion of the snares can be adjusted without affecting the remaining snares. The mechanism was attached externally to the bottom of the drum where the mechanism is subject to get damaged. Also, single adjustment screws located on the mechanism do not allow for in use adjustment. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,081 to Freer, describes a mechanism using individual adjusting screws to solve tuning problems. This mechanism utilizes multiple adjustment screws to provide for the fine-tuning of the snares.
Other snare drum mechanism inventions have been made to improve the sound quality of the snare drums, however, none of the prior art of which we are aware has addressed the problem of reducing the weight of a snare drum by simplifying the mechanism and/or allowing removal of some drum parts. An additional benefit of the weight reduction with our invention is a potential cost saving in total snare drum costs.
Furthermore, the prior art does not disclose a method for attaching the snare mechanism internally of the drum structure where it may act on and in conjunction with the upper drum head and/or the lower drum head. The structure of our invention permits a manufacturer to eliminate the lower portion of the drum to reduce the weight and cost of the drum itself. Additionally, even when employed with convention drum constructions, the invention disclosed hereinafter employs a novel structure which permits tension and pressure adjustments of the snare mechanism simply and easily at any time, in manner substantially simpler than possible with prior art designs.
One important object of the present invention is to provide a simplified snare mechanism enabling a manufacturer to reduce substantially the overall weight of a snare drum.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method and structure permitting the internal attachment of snare assembly for a drum.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an external tension adjustment on one side of a snare drum and a combined tension and height adjustment on the other side of the drum.
Another object of this invention is to provide a snare mechanism which allows simultaneous adjustment of the height and tension applied to a snare assembly.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an easy adjustment mechanism that can be operated while the drum is in use.
Another object of this invention is to provide a snare mechanism construction that allows a manufacturer the choice of installing the snare mechanism on either the top or the bottom head of a drum.
It is another object of this invention to provide a built in tone damper with a head over snare mechanism located on either the top or bottom of the drum.
In accordance with this invention, generally stated, a snare mechanism is provided for internal attachment of the snare mechanism to a drum structure. In the preferred embodiment, the drum includes a single upper drum head and the snare mechanism is adapted to operate in conjunction with the upper head. Drum construction is simplified, because the lower drum head and related structure is eliminated, resulting in significant reduction in cost and weight for the drum.
In another embodiment, the snare drum mechanism is positioned internally of the drum structure, but may be positioned to operate in conjunction of either the upper or the lower drum head. In either embodiment, the snare tensioning mechanism is designed so as to pivot into and out of a desired condition and/or position with respect to the associated drum head.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following disclosure and accompanying drawings.